UN Secretary-General Guterres Travels to Damascus for Solidarity Visit

Talks with al-Sharaa and al-Shaibani

In Damascus, Guterres met on the first day of his stay with Transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has governed Syria since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024. „In Damaskus wird Guterres mit Interimspräsident Ahmed al-Scharaa zusammenkommen." At the same time, he held talks with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. The visit is scheduled to last three days; according to the UN, meetings with organizations advocating for women's rights are also planned during this period.

Guterres stated that the United Nations is prepared to support the legal handling of crimes committed during the Assad era. At the same time, he signaled readiness to accompany the political transition toward elections and a new constitution. Before the press, he also formulated a clear expectation of the international community: Syria's „Souveränität, Unabhängigkeit, Einheit und territoriale Integrität" must be „vollständig respektiert" werden.

Visit to Sednaya Prison

During his trip, Guterres visited the Sednaya military prison near the Syrian capital. The notorious prison was the site of severe human rights violations in the past. „Guterres besuchte nach Angaben von syrischen Staatsmedien das berüchtigte Seidnaja-Militärgefängnis nahe Damaskus." According to Amnesty International, the majority of those detained were opposition civilians.

„Während des Assad-Regimes wurden dort Tausende Menschen getötet." Human rights organizations also documented the extent of the violence: „Nach Angaben von Menschenrechtsgruppen wurden dort Tausende Häftlinge von Schergen des Assad-Regimes gefoltert und ermordet." The United Nations had repeatedly pointed to these allegations in recent years and called for reforms.

Criticism of Israel

During his visit, Guterres also criticized Israel's actions on the occupied Golan Heights. „Bei seinem Besuch kritisierte Guterres Israel für dessen Vorgehen auf den Golan-Höhen." The background is that Israel had sent troops into a UN-monitored buffer zone on the Golan Heights following the fall of the Assad regime. „Israel hatte nach Assads Sturz Truppen in eine von der UNO überwachte Pufferzone auf den Golanhöhen entsandt."

The situation on the Golan Heights has remained tense since then. „Seither führten israelische Streitkräfte wiederholt Angriffe und Vorstöße tiefer auf syrisches Gebiet aus." The UN had repeatedly criticized this development and called for the maintenance of existing ceasefire agreements.

Humanitarian Situation in Syria

The humanitarian situation of the Syrian population was also a central focus of the trip. According to the UN, approximately 15.6 million people in the country depend on humanitarian assistance. „Antonio Guterres forderte dabei internationale Hilfe für das von langen Jahren des Bürgerkriegs erschütterte Land." The United Nations have played a central role since the beginning of the conflict in providing the affected population with food, medicine, and protection.

Syria was largely internationally isolated after the start of the civil war in 2011. With the change of power at the end of 2024 and the takeover of government by an alliance led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian government has since made increased efforts to rebuild closer ties with the international community. „Der ehemalige Dschihadistenführer regiert das Land seit dem Sturz von Langzeitmachthaber Baschar al-Assad Ende 2024."

Diplomatic Approach

Guterres had already visited Syria in 2010, at that time in his former capacity as UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The current visit is seen as a signal to the transitional government in Damascus, as well as to the international community, that the United Nations wishes to actively accompany the new beginning in Syria.

Observers assess the visit as part of a broader diplomatic approach toward the new Syrian leadership. Most recently, French President Emmanuel Macron was the first head of state of an EU country to visit Syria again since the change of power. Guterres' stay continues this series of international contacts.

The trip comes at a time when the Syrian transitional government is seeking international recognition and investment. At the same time, the government faces the task of institutionally securing the transition from the rule of the Assad family to a new political order—a process that the United Nations says it wants to support in an advisory and logistical capacity.

Reactions and Outlook

The broadcaster Deutschlandfunk reported on the visit: „Diese Nachricht wurde am 25.07.2026 im Programm Deutschlandfunk gesendet." The visit thus also found its way into German-language reporting on developments in Syria.

With his three-day presence in Damascus, Guterres combines several concerns: visible solidarity with the Syrian population, acknowledgment of the suffering of the victims of the Assad regime, and diplomatic support for the political new beginning. At the same time, he made clear that the United Nations has an interest in a stable, sovereign Syrian statehood.

At the conclusion of his stay, Guterres is expected to summarize the impressions from his trip in New York before the UN Security Council and to present a report on the humanitarian situation and political transition in Syria. This is intended to maintain international pressure for comprehensive support of the country.